Portable imitation fireplace and storage article



3, 1966 L. A. HARVEY 3,268,282

PORTABLE IMITATION FIREPLACE AND STORAGE ARTICLE Filed May 4, 1965 INVENTOR LOUIS A. HARVEY BY EM 5 27 2 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,268,282 PORTABLE IMITATION FIREPLACE AND STQRAGE ARTICLE Louis Adam Harvey, 12977 Riopelle Ave.,- Detroit, Mich. 48203 Filed May 4, 1965, Ser. No. 452,973 9 Claims. (Cl. 312204) This invention relates to furniture and, in particular, to article storage structures.

Hitherto, persons living in small houses and apartments have frequently been hampered by a lack of adequate storage space for clothing, bed-clothing, beverages and the like. This is particularly true where the living room has been equipped with a davenport which can be opened out to form a bed, where it has been necessary to store the bedclothing in a closet or other room at a considerable distance from the davenport. Most small apartments also lack fireplaces, and a fireplace is often deemed an ornamental addition to the room, even if it is incapable of being used for the combustion of actual fuel. The present invention eliminates these disadvantages by providing a portable imitation fireplace which serves as an article of furniture, which can be installed in any room, and which not only simulates a fireplace but also provides storage compartments.

Accordingly, one object of this invention is to provide a portable imitation fireplace and storage article containing compartments for receiving any articles requiring storage, such as personal clothing, bedclothes, and table linen and table ware.

Another object is to provide a portable imitation fireplace and storage article of the foregoing character wherein the structure containing the fireplace opening has end compartments with shelves therein reached by hinged doors and suitable for the storage of china, glassware and beverages in instantly accessible locations which are, however, normally concealed from sight by the end doors.

Another object is to provide a portable imitation fireplace and storage article as set forth in the object immediately preceding, wherein one of the end compartments is equipped with a so-called cellarette for the storage and serving of beverages in a convenient and instantly accessible manner.

Another object is to provide a portable imitation fireplace and storage article of the foregoing character wherein a sliding drawer is mounted at the top of the fireplace opening for receiving small articles adapted for horizontal storage.

Another object is to provide a port-able imitation fireplace and storage article of the foregoing character wherein there is provided a horizontally-elongated compartment above the fireplace opening and reached by a hinged mantel, this elongated compartment being suitable for the storage of bedclothes and the like.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description of the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view, looking downward from above, of a portable imitation fireplace and storage structure, according to one form of the invention, with all of the various compartments except the right end compartment in their open positions; I

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal section through the portable imitation fireplace and storage structure of FIGURE 1 with the front wall, in effect, removed, but with all of the compartments in their closed positions, taken along the line 2-2 in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-section through the upper portion of the left end compartment and fireplace opening, taken along the broken line 33 in FIGURE 2; and

3,268,282 Patented August 23, 1866 FIGURE 4 is a cross-section through the right end compartment, taken along the line 4-4 in FIGURE 3.

Referring to the drawing in detail, FIGURE 1 shows a portable imitation fireplace and storage article, generally designated 10, according to one form of the invention as mounted on a rectangular base 12 and having spaced parallel front and rear outer walls 14 and 16 secured to and rising from the base 12, which is preferably in the form of a board or plank. Extending between the outer front and rear walls 14 and 16 are verticallyelongated opposite right and left-hand end doors 18 and 20 respectively hinged as at 22 to the rear wall 16, so as to swing rearwardly into open positions or forwardly into closed positions.

Also extending between the front and rear walls 14 and 16 in spaced parallel relationship to one another and to the end doors 18 and 20 are vertical inner side walls 24 (FIGURE 2) which with a lower inner horizontal wall 26 extending between them near their upper ends define an imitation fireplace compartment 28 extending rearw-ardly to the rear wall 16. Extending entirely across the interior of the structure 10 between the front and rear walls 14 and 16 and the end doors 18 and 20' is an upper inner horizontal wall 30 disposed immediately above the upper ends of the vertical walls 24.

The upper and lower inner horizontal walls 30 and 26, the inner vertical walls 24 and the central portion of the rear wall 16 define a box-shaped drawer compartment 32 in which is slidably mounted a drawer 34 having front and rear walls 36 and 38, opposite side walls 40 and a bottom wall 42 (FIGURES 2 and 3). The outer front wall 14 for ornamental purposes may consist of actual or simulated parallel vertical planks 44 separated from one another by actual or simulated vertical edges 46. Similarly, for ornamental purposes, the front wall 36 of the drawer 34 is provided with ornamental vertical dividing lines 48 simulating the vertical adjoining edges of tiles, In order to complete this ornamental effect, the rectangular front opening 50 of the fireplace compartment 28 may be provided with laterally-spaced vertical panels 52 subdivided by horizontal lines 54 to simulate tiles and, when the drawer 34 is in its closed position, forming with the drawer front 36 a simulated tile border 56 around the opening 50 of the fireplace compartment 28.

Rising form the horizontal wall 30 are right and lefthand vertical inner upper partition walls 58 and 60 respectively, the wall 58 being immediately adjacent the right end door 18 and the wall 60 spaced inwardly away from the left end door 20 (FIGURE 2). The elongated upper horizontal compartment 62 thus formed by the walls 14, 16, 30, 58 and 60 is closed at its upper end by a top wall or mantel 64 hinged as at 66 to the rear Wall 16. The top of the left-hand vertical compartment formed between the left end door 20 and the upper and lower inner walls 60 and 24 is closed by a horizontal partition wall 68.

The right and left lower end compartments 70 and 72 closed by the right and left end doors 18 and 20 respectively are subdivided by horizontal upper and lower shelves 72 and 74 into subcompartments 76, 78 and 80 with the upper end of the compartment 70 closed by the upper inner horizontal wall 30. The left-hand end portion of the upper inner horizontal wall 30 forms with the adjacent portions of the walls 14, 16 and 60 an upper end compartment 82.

The upper end compartment 82 is optionally equipped with a tumbler shelf 84 which is provided with holes 86 (FIGURE 1) for the reception and storage of beverage glasses and a similar tumbler shelf 88 with similar holes 90 is bolted or otherwise secured to the left end door 20. Also optionally secured to the left end door 20 below the tumbler shelf 88 is a quadrant shelf 92 which swings into the left end subcompartment 76. v

In use, the portable imitation fireplace and storage article is transported in the same manner as a buffet, chifionier, chest of drawers or other such article of furniture. It is set up in any desired location and in any room, preferably with the rear wall 16 backed up against the wall of the room so as to most nearly simulate an actual fuel-burning fireplace. The articles to be stored are placed in the various compartments 62, 76, 78, 80 and 82 or in the compartment 32 occupied by the sliding drawer 34. To make the resemblance to a real fireplace more vivid, an imitation fire device, with or without andirons, .can be placed in the imitation fireplace compartment 28. Such imitation fire devices are known to the furniture and building structure art and are available on the market. One such imitation fire device is shown, for example, in the Berry Patent 1,336,500 of April 13, 1920 for Imitation Fire, and such devices are beyond the scope of the present invention.

What I claim is: 1. A portable imitation fireplace and storage article, comprising a hollow upright walled structure having spaced front and rear outer walls and opposite end openings and a top opening; and end and top closure members movably secured to one of said outer walls and movable relatively thereto between open and closed positions relatively to their respective end and top openings,

said front wall having an imitation fireplace opening in the lower portion thereof and inner vertical side and rear walls and an inner upper horizontal wall defining with said opening an imitation fireplace compartment,

said inner side walls defining with said end closure members two laterally-spaced end compartments and said upper horizontal Wall defining with said top closure member a top storage compartment adjacent to but separated from said fireplace compartment. 2. A portable imitation fireplace and storage article, according to claim 1, wherein an inner lower horizontal wall is connected between said inner side walls in vertically-spaced parallel relationship to said inner upper horizontal wall and wherein a drawer is slidably mounted in the space therebetween.

3. A portable imitation fireplace and storage article,

1 according to claim 1, wherein said closure members are hingedly secured to said rear wall, said top closure member being swingable upward from said rear Wall and said end closure members being swingable outward from said rear wall.

4. A portable imitation fireplace and storage article, according to claim 1, wherein said inner rear wall of said fireplace compartment is integral with the lower central portion of said outer rear wall.

5. A portable imitation fireplace and storage article, according to claim 1, wherein a horizontal shelf extends between said front and rear outer walls and is secured thereto in at least one of said end compartments.

6. A portable imitation fireplace and storage article, according to claim 1, wherein a horizontal shelf is also secured to one of said end closure members and moves therewith into and out of its respective end compartment.

7. A portable imitation fireplace and storage article, according to claim 1, wherein a partition is mounted transversely across said top compartment in spaced relationship to one of said end closure members While in its closed position,

8. A portable imitation fireplace and storage article, according to claim 1, wherein a horizontal base member is secured to and beneath said front and rear walls in supporting relationship thereto.

9. A portable imitation fireplace and storage article, according to claim 1, wherein a beverage glass shelf with means therein for supporting beverage glasses is secured to one of said outer walls within one of said end compartments.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 661,500 11/1900 Darnes -218 1,164,024 12/ 1915 Smith et al. 312-204 1,179,017 4/ 1916 McVicker 312289 1,818,525 8/1931 Perez 312289 X 2,476,542 7/ 1949 Gauss 312204 2,488,03 5 11/1949 Pistone 312-204 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PORTABLE IMITATION FIREPLACE AND STORAGE ARTICLE, COMPRISING A HOLLOW UPRIGHT WALLED STRUCTURE HAVING SPACED FRONT AND REAR OUTER WALLS AND OPPOSITE END OPENINGS AND A TOP OPENING; AND END AND TOP CLOSURE MEMBERS MOVABLY SECURED TO ON OF SAID OUTER WALLS AND MOVABLE RELATIVELY THERETO BETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS RELATIVELY TO THEIR RESPECTIVELY END AND TOP OPENINGS, SAID FRONT WALL HAVING AN IMITATION FIREPLACE OPENING IN THE LOWER PORTION THEREOF AND INNER VERTICAL SIDE AND REAR WALLS AND AN INNER UPPER HORIZONTAL WALL DEFINING WITH SAID OPENING AN IMITATION FIREPLACE COMPARTMENT, SAID INNER SIDE WALLS DEFINING WITH SAID END CLOSURE MEMBERS TWO LATERALLY-SPACED END COMPARTMENTS AND SAID UPPER HORIZONTAL WALL DEFINING WITH SAID TOP CLOSURE MEMBER A TOP STORAGE COMPARTMENT ADJACENT TO BUT SEPARATED FROM SAID FIREPLACE COMPARTMENT. 